EPL referee Oliver to miss Ivory Coast opening game
Fifa has said that the 41-year-old, who was due to officiate the Group E meeting between Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Philadelphia on Sunday (00:00 BST, Monday), has been replaced by Frenchman Francois Letexier because of injury, but is expected to be available for selection "in the coming days".
English Premier League referee Michael Oliver has been ruled out of his first match at the 2026 World Cup, a group E match between the Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Philadelphia on Monday.
Fifa has said that the 41-year-old, who was due to officiate the Group E meeting between Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Philadelphia on Sunday (00:00 BST, Monday), has been replaced by Frenchman Francois Letexier because of injury, but is expected to be available for selection "in the coming days".
For Monday's group E opener, Bary Beswick, Adam Nunn, Stuart Burt, and James Mainwaring were selected as assistant referees.
The Englishman has been a Premier League referee since 2010 and was promoted to UEFA's elite list of referees in 2018, officiating at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, including the quarter-final between Croatia and Brazil, and Euro 2024.
There are 52 referees, 88 assistant referees, and 30 video match officials involved in the World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
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